recluserose | Application for jigokucho 👹

PLAYER INFORMATION

PLAYER: Mai
ARE YOU AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD?: Yes.
CONTACT: maiscribbles | Maiscribbles#6780 | Journal PM
CHARACTERS PLAYED: Marianna "Monts" Medina | nerine (Original Character) | Tamamo Clan

CHARACTER INFORMATION

NAME: Amelia Steinbeck
CANON: Original Character
CANON REFERENCE: Background write-up.
CANON POINT: 10 years after the death of her loved one. She is now a high-school teacher while keeping her witch identity a secret from the town.
CRAU HISTORY: N/A
AGE: Late 60s (appears to be in her late 20s or mid-30s).
APPEARANCE: Amelia has long red hair and green eyes. Being nearsighted, she also wears glasses. In terms of height, she's about 5"7. The one accessory she wears almost all the time is a pendant necklace around a gold chain. The pendant is a small red rose contained in resin and set in a gold frame. She's usually never without it because the rose is the long-dormant body of her first love (long story).

Picture reference here. I will also use the actress Bridget Regan as an additional PB since she's an approximate fit of the description.

CONTRACT PAYMENT: Amelia will be offered a way to revive Briar, her first love who granted her all of their magic energy and died as a result.

QUESTIONNAIRE:

What are your greatest regrets, if you have any? What would you have done differently?

[OOC] — One of Amelia's greatest regrets was leaving her life behind to learn magic even though she was only a six-year-old who didn't know any better and was easily drawn to the world of the arcane and the promises of wonder by the Witch King. Although she has the help of her friends and plenty of time to process what she went through, she truly wonders what would have happened if she had rejected the Witch King.

Her other regret is the loss of Briar, her first love who was a being of extraterrestrial origins. He was instrumental in the witch's development, drawing out her human side by just being there for her and with her as they lived together in Blackgale and interacted with the townspeople. Amelia wouldn't really know if she could have done anything differently since his death was the result of needing enough magic power to overwhelm the monster that had taken root in town (the Hive of Thorns). It was Briar's choice to give up his body because he wanted Amelia and the world they lived in to thrive. Her only conclusion when it comes to the "what-if" is that she wished she was stronger that time so that she could have protected Briar so she wouldn't need his sacrifice.

How do you define "failure"? How do you deal with the consequences of failure, from light to severe?

[IC] — "Failure means death.

I do not mean to say that if you fail, you deserve to die; not at all in fact. Everyone makes mistakes and that is simply the way to learn as you grow older and you're more comfortable with those light missteps that may embarrass or stifle you for a period of time. There was a period in my life when I wasn't able to distinguish any of my mistakes; my perception of myself was not very kind, but for a good reason. To fail meant, I would most likely die.

Now? To me, severe failure means the true death of your hopes, dreams, and spirit. I've been trapped in that darkness for far longer than I am comfortable admitting on paper.

Sometimes I may still find myself there.

But as long as I am alive I can keep getting back up."

What is your favorite diversion? Hobbies, indulgences, vices? Would you put off important things for that diversion, or would you be more strict about how you spend your time and/or money?

[IC] — I am an avid reader of books, both fiction and non-fiction, essays, poetry, fine literature, popular literature, you name it. I have a large collection of books in my personal home library. I try to read new releases so that I can keep up with the modern landscape of literature and make sure to give my students recommendations.

Other things I like? I collect wind chimes, take good care of my flower beds, and will practice or create new spells. I often have to keep up with adding to my magical vocabulary which I do find some enjoyment in whenever I unlock a new alphabet.

I enjoy a glass of wine every now and then. My friends have said that if I'm not careful, I may get carried away so I try to be mindful of the habit.

What I would like to acknowledge is that with my previous living situation, I wasn't very concerned with money so I could spend on what I wanted, privileged you could say. That said, I wasn't the most extravagant. People in town would start wondering how I could afford to spend so much on a teacher's salary and I can't very well let them start rumors about potential money laundering.

As a teacher, I need to be strict with my time. I'm able to carve out time for self-care and whatnot, but I would only ever put things off for something more important, for say, I don't know, an infestation of disturbing monsters? I'm also a witch, so my time is sometimes split with whatever nonsense is trying to disturb the area and whatever essays I need to grade."

An oni of the Shuten Clan has gone completely berserk and is going on a violent rampage through the city. You can't stop him, but you CAN lead him elsewhere, but you only have two choices: a road by a discotheque with a large crowd in front, or the nearby park that you do not know is unoccupied, and may have children present. What do you choose, and why?

[IC] — "I find this scenario concerning because it gives the implication that this is a situation that has happened or will happen in the future. For the sake of playing along, however, I will put in some thought and not interrogate the nature of the question itself.

I have a particular distaste for frightening children and risking their endangerment. I'd choose to lead the berserk oni to the discotheque. Ideally, I'd be coordinating with a partner to call ahead and warn everyone, but if there are any damages or even injuries, I'd be willing to take the heat as it were.

I'm making the choice here, aren't I? It's not incomprehensible to take responsibility for my actions."

POWERS & ABILITIES:

❧ MAGIC — All magickind are born with this energy that helps them perform the impossible, unlike psychics whose powers perform within limits. The way magic manifests is a broad subject in itself. Some witches may choose to specialize and focus on certain aspects, while others will continue their learning and learn all types of arcane arts and eldritch languages. Amelia has 1000 years' worth of very potent magical energy within her thanks to Briar, giving her the potential to tear paths to other worlds and upend reality itself. Since she's basically a container for so much magic in comparison to her actual age, her hair strands act as multiple channels for it to flow through (and she'll use said strands for different spells). Magic slows down the aging of witches and wizards as well. Amelia's magic energy is bright emerald green. For game nerf, see below.

❧ ENVISIONING — This is the basic principle that all magickind go by to cast magic. Envisioning is the ability to create phenomena and impose one's will upon reality. By creating an image in one's mind, it is unlocked and manifests through channeled energy to cast the spell or summon what one desires. Ideally, the more magic energy you have, the higher the accuracy and quality of your casting will be. For further effectiveness, a practitioner must study arcane and otherworldly languages that can contradict or manipulate their reality which reflects itself as runic-like script. You can think of it as rewriting the code of whatever universe the witch/warlock is in to perform their arts.

GAME NERF: Amelia will be blocked from using any of her magic. Subsequent regains will be in the form of singular uses of magic (e.g. one ability to cast magic to grow plants, one ability to magically teleport, etc) and I'll self-impose a cap at three powers as 10-point rewards to keep it easy for myself.

❧ TEA FORTUNE TELLING — Also known as tasseography or divination from patterns in tea leaves or in coffee grounds. In Amelia's case, she drinks tea, and the leftover tea leaves form an image. She only recently started dabbling in this sort of magic, just for kicks and most of the foresight she gains is equivalent to that of a fortune cookie. Technically an impractical, but amusing use of magic that may or may not ring true at times.

GAME NERF: This will be a regain.

❧ KICKBOXING — On a more mundane note, Amelia does have some basic kickboxing moves, but more for working out and maintaining a healthy physique and as a stress release. It does help in a pinch when she needs to punch or kick something as a surprise attack, but her strength and speed are average at best unless she enhances her physical abilities with magic.

Other things of note is that she's very studious and booksmart. Ask her about books, she'll talk about books.

SUITABILITY:

Amelia is a witch who lives in a world full of the arcane and supernatural and that comes with all the wonders and dangers that one could imagine. She is already an adult in her late sixties and despite her rather late start to living an actual life on her own terms she's not unwise of the ways of the world and all its hardships and evils. In the comparatively short time, she's had as a high school teacher, Amelia has worked with students and fellow teachers who all have their own problems of varying degrees.

Decades before that, her teacher, the Witch King, had raised Amelia to be a witch of his own making which involved near-isolation and trials that were usually life-threatening to some degree. She would have to use her own wits and whatever he taught her (or taught herself) to survive his instruction. Being under the employ of a faction leader is a comparatively better situation for her since she'll be part of a group with other Lost Souls. She'd be just as quick-thinking and resourceful when it comes to the various problems that crop up in Hell.

In Jigokucho, the amount of blatant crime, drug, and sexual activity may shock her initially, but she would quickly if grimly, adjust to the ways of the hell city. She wouldn't have much judgment for anyone who indulges in Jigokucho's vices, seeing that she has no grounds for criticism other than being a crotchety old lady at heart.

FACTION SUITABILITY:

SHUTEN CLAN

As a Shuten Clan member, Amelia would surprisingly fit in with the ranks both in terms of her methodology and ideology. "Might makes right," for the witch means using power to get things done to completion and to use it practically for the sake of others. For her, power was a means to survive while she was raised by the Witch King. As it currently stands, she has over 1000 years of magical energy that was granted to her by her first love, whose death deeply affected her. Having that background means she would look after other clan members to make sure that while they can fight, they won't have to make unnecessary sacrifices. She's exemplary in this aspect of honor and community. One will not have to be alone with the witch by their side.

When it comes to promises, Amelia is strict in adhering to whatever she agrees to. Witches and warlocks in her world take their oaths and dedication seriously. To bless someone means to do so wholeheartedly. To curse someone means your hatred and its purpose must be clear, lest it lays waste to everything and everyone around you. If she was in this clan, the Shuten is guaranteed a member who upholds her end of the bargain in most of her dealings.

TAMAMO CLAN

Though she has a blunt and no-nonsense attitude toward life, Amelia is quick to offer hospitality and find ways to serve others when they are in need. She's not above pleasure or indulgences and would understand the need to destress even if red-light district activities are not strictly up her alley. In the Tamamo Clan, she would be able to dial back her usual anti-social tendencies and work to build herself up as a calm and courteous hostess in whatever job she takes up in the clan's industries.

Based on her position as a high school teacher in her world, Amelia is open to interaction with people from all walks of life and as a witch, she is accepting of some of the inhuman and unnatural. She would appreciate the Tamamao's way of freedom; she had grown up, imprisoned for the whims of another, and in some ways has yet to completely untangle herself from that past. Her own freedom is an illusion as long as the Witch King exists but with this clan, she would be able to explore other avenues of what it means to use her power to assert her independence.

THE SUTOKU ALLIANCE

Within the Alliance, Amelia would make herself useful in terms of gathering information. She pursues knowledge with fervor and with purpose since learning new things on her own terms is what made her life bearable during her time with the Witch King. She's clever and quick-witted as needed and will do her best to ask important questions when it comes to important matters. Amelia also puts value into making connections with various individuals; one to make sure she has friends to live a fuller life. More cynically, it's important she knows a person who knows a person, etc. since having connections is a type of capital that would benefit the Alliance.

She would also fit into the culture of the Alliance due to their makeup of different youkai tribes. Where she's from, Amelia is an outlier to magickind due to her circumstances of being completely human before the Witch King changed her into a witch. In addition to the isolation she suffered, she was never completely accepted by magickind as a whole as most other witches and warlocks view her with distrust and fear due to her affiliation with the Witch King and the additional amount of magic power she gained overnight. With the Sutoku, not only would she be able to be uniquely herself, she understands the management of power needs to go to those who have the skills for such.

THE DEPARTMENT OF ENMA

In terms of "order above all else," the witch can relate and even agree with it. Amelia is a high school teacher who followed the rules to a reasonable extent and is familiar with the necessities and headaches of bureaucracy. She would fit in well with administrative roles or as a librarian since she has great focus when it comes to organization. She'd also be willing to enforce order, especially for the benefit of the Lost Souls such as herself. If she has to use underhanded moves or even work outside of the system to maintain all of this, it isn't outside of her scope. Since she was the only witch living in a town among normal people, Amelia self-appointed herself as the population's protector though obviously her magical nature and acts were done with secrecy since the existence of magic and otherwise anything supernatural was a system that she takes part in by maintaining its mystery.

SAMPLES
❧ TDM Thread #1
❧ TDM Thread #2
❧ PSL Thread